While toying with the mask in her hand, Raiden Ei was not lying; her Observation Haki was constantly focused on Berkeley.
She watched as he walked into several different shops, asked a few people some things, and then hurried back.
Her Observation Haki couldn't pick up sounds, so she didn't know what they said. She could only wait for Berkeley to return and tell her, hoping to get information about Jaya Island!
With a while yet before Berkeley returned, Raiden Ei, wearing the fox mask, began looking at the items inside the small general store.
"Is this really just a general store? They have everything."
She walked around looking and noticed many items were second-hand, likely confiscated from Pirates. In any case, she didn't see anything she wanted.
Before Raiden Ei could finish browsing the entire general store, Berkeley rushed back. He walked up to her, and before catching his breath, he started recounting the intelligence he had gathered.
"Hoo... Miss, I apologize. We... did not get any definitive intelligence here. We only managed to find out that the Pirates on Panshan Island should have a log pose that points directly to Jaya Island."
Raiden Ei was not surprised after hearing Berkeley's account. How could she be so lucky as to find it directly!
She was only trying to see if she could find anything; she hadn't expected Berkeley to actually find a clue.
Berkeley couldn't see Raiden Ei's expression now, only hearing her authoritative voice ring out: "What kind of place is Panshan Island? And how are you so sure there will be a log pose pointing directly to Jaya Island there?"
Berkeley calmed his breathing and spoke directly, as if he had prepared his words long ago: "Panshan Island is not too far from here, only about three days' sea voyage."
"That place is a gathering point for many Pirate Crews. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the island is occupied by Pirates. Having sailed the Grand Line for many years, it is inevitable that they possess a log pose leading directly to that island."
Raiden Ei felt it was acceptable; a trip there wouldn't waste too much time.
If she could find a log pose that went directly to Jaya Island, it would save her a significant amount of time. She continued to question Berkeley:
"How much more intelligence do you have about that place? Do you have a log pose to get there? I will pay you the corresponding Reward."
Berkeley thought for a moment, glanced at Raiden Ei again, and said hesitantly: "Uh, Panshan Island is permanently inhabited by three of the largest Pirate Crews. Their strength is roughly equal, and their relationship isn't bad, but they frequently fight over profit."
"The Octopus Pirate Crew, the Fierce Elephant Pirate Crew, and the Vanguard Pirate Crew—those three."
"The Captain of the Octopus Pirate Crew, Sanjam, is a Paramecia type Devil Fruit User, the Tentacle Fruit. His bounty is seventy-eight million Berries, and he has several Executive Officers with bounties over ten million."
"The Captain of the Fierce Elephant Pirate Crew, Robuck, is a Zoan type Devil Fruit User, the Elephant Fruit. His bounty is seventy-five million Berries, and he has several Executive Officers with bounties over ten million."
"The Vanguard Pirate Crew is composed of three Marines who defected from the South Blue Branch: Fukadon, Sioni, and Spu. Their bounties are all sixty-two million Berries, and they have several Executive Officers with bounties over ten million."
"They only arrived in the Grand Line in the last two years, so we don't know what abilities those three possess, though there should be a Devil Fruit User among them."
"They frequently raid at sea, rushing to loot whenever something good happens. They have become even more frenzied since the Great Pirate Era began."
Raiden Ei was a bit shocked after listening. These Pirates were far more brutal than any she had encountered in the East Blue.
Shouldn't the Marines deal with them? She directly asked the question on her mind: "Don't the Marines eliminate them?"
Berkeley, the general store owner, had spoken so much that he felt thirsty and picked up the water on his desk to drink.
However, the way he looked at Raiden Ei was a bit strange, as if asking: Why would you ask such a question?
Putting down the cup, Berkeley glanced at her quickly before looking away, then continued: "Of course the Marines manage them! It's just that there are too many Pirates. Pirates who are stuck in the middle like this generally don't attract much attention from the Marines."
"They only dare to raid targets that aren't too powerful militarily. They are also very lucky; they manage to escape every time they encounter the Marines."
Uh... now even Raiden Ei didn't know what to say. The highest bounty in the East Blue was only thirty million Berries; for the East Blue, they were already a menace.
Now Berkeley was telling her that on the Grand Line, Pirates with bounties of sixty or seventy million were just playing house, considered to have some self-preservation capability.
Forgive her for not having updated her perception of Pirates from the East Blue yet.
She thought about it carefully, and indeed, on the Grand Line, a bounty of just under one hundred million could only make a small ripple. Generally, only Pirates with bounties over one hundred million started to gain some fame.
If she reached the New World with her current ten billion bounty, she would only be able to survive under the Four Emperors' Crews. Truly, this sea had a barrier to entry.
At best, she was currently an elite monster. Fortunately, she still had time to grow. For now, she needed to get the log pose to Jaya Island first!
Composing herself, Raiden Ei said directly to Berkeley: "I roughly understand the situation. Do you have the log pose to Panshan Island?"
Seeing that Raiden Ei wasn't going to press the matter further about him trying to fleece her earlier, Berkeley quickly pulled out a log pose from his pocket.
"Yes, yes, this is the log pose to Panshan Island."
Raiden Ei took it, checked the direction, and put it away. She took out one million Berries from her system backpack and placed it on the table: "Is this enough for the mask and the intelligence?"
Berkeley held out a hand, spreading his five fingers, and said hesitantly: "Not enough. It needs to be at least five million Berries."
Raiden Ei didn't suspect anything. She had already obtained the information she wanted, and Berries were of little use to her anyway. What did it matter if she gave a little more?
She took out another nine million Berries from her system backpack and placed it on the table. One thousand ten-thousand-Berry bills didn't look like much: "Is ten million Berries enough?"
When Berkeley saw Raiden Ei conjure another ten million Berries out of thin air, he could only say: "It's enough."
Raiden Ei walked toward the exit, not forgetting to praise the mask: "This mask is really nice. Did you make it yourself?"
"Thank you for the compliment. Yes, I make these in my spare time."
Berkeley watched Raiden Ei walk out the door of the general store and let out a sigh of relief, muttering dissatisfiedly: "If it's so nice, why wasn't she willing to buy it for even two hundred thousand Berries?"
"Sigh... I lost out big today. Never mind, she didn't seem like someone to mess with. I'll consider it sending off a true powerhouse!"
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